Mitt Romney on Wednesday got a big thumbs up for his stance on global warming from a source that likely won’t help him at all in the GOP primary: Al Gore.

In any case, Romney’s relatively accurate understanding of climate science — and his statement “it’s important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases” — has not led him to embrace any policies that would actually reduce emissions (see Romney: “We’re going to use our coal resources”).

Of course, the real question is not whether global warming exists but what we are going to do about it. Romney previously embraced a cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions, calling it “good for business.” But, like most of the rest of the GOP field, he’s since reversed his position.

Somewhat tangentially, I would note that you don’t have to have a neat desk to win a Nobel Prize — going by this picture in Gore’s post:

“Former Vice President Al Gore in his home office in Nashville, TN. (Time magazine)”